Because Of You
by DylanFenton
Summary: Valarie Gray now knows Danny’s secret, and has sworn not to tell a soul. But what happens when she drops a few hints around school, and Danny’s secret isn’t so secret anymore?
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer:** Butch Hartman owns Danny Phantom. The song featured in this chapter is Because Of You by Kelly Clarkson. I don't own it and I had nothing to do with writing it.

Prolouge

Because of you

I never stray too far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learned to play on the safe side

So I don't get hurt

Because of you

I find it hard

To trust not only me

But everyone around me

Because of you

I am afraid……

I took the dart and focused hard on the newspaper clipping hanging on the wall in my room. I threw the tiny, sharp object and hit my target right on the nose.

My target was named Danny Phantom.

He was known to the world as Inviso-Bill, but I knew more about him. I knew he was Danny Phantom and lived right in Amity Parks, where I lived. I knew he was a ghost. I knew that he was out for revenge for something. I also knew that I would go to the ends of the earth to destroy him.

The most important part of my job was to not let anyone know what I was doing. If any of my friends found out, well……I would be socially flushed down the toilet. Seriously. That lousy Danny Fenton always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so I never got anything done. But he would fall with the ghost kid. Fall after my world domination dreams would rise up like castles in the sky…………

Maybe I'm going too far into this. My name is Valarie Gray. I am NOT a wanna-be ghost hunter, I'm a junior ghost hunter! Ignore what you have heard about me and take into consideration that I nearly caught that ghost kid twice already! And if I could just get my claws into him again, then my nightmare, and Amity's nightmare, would be over forever. If he could die like I wanted him to die……

He is most likely not who you think he is. I know, because two weeks ago, as I was throwing those darts, I got the strangest feeling I was being watched by somebody. And on that day, I learned the ghost boy's darkest secret. The one nobody else knows. I know his true identity. I know who he really is…

I smiled and pulled the dart out of the picture. Several tiny holes dotted the ghost's face. If that had been him and the dart had been a knife, then my trouble would be over.

But this was a dart and that was a picture, and there was no use trying to deny the fact that I hadn't caught that ghost yet. But I had dug up as much dirt on him as I could. I made out with Tucker and gave him five bucks to tell me the guy's name was certainly Danny Phantom and not Inviso-Bill. I'd tried to get some things out of Sam and Dash, but Dash seemed clueless and Sam wouldn't talk. I figured a good guy to speak to about this was Fenton.

Suddenly, I heard a trash can turn over outside and had the strangest feeling someone was near, and that I may have been being watched. I peeked out the window of my room and saw the ghost boy on the ground holding his knee. A bigger ghost with flaming green hair had a gun pointed towards the boy.

For some reason felt compelled to help Danny Phantom, so I pressed a button on my shoe and my clothes were instantly transformed into a red jumpsuit. I picked up a huge gun that shot nets that a ghost couldn't get out of, and then climbled out my window and ran over to the ghosts.

"Hey, this is my yard, so you two have to take this fight somewhere else!" I cried.

The ghost boy turned around and whispered "Valarie!". How did he know my name?

"You know you have to leave. Now." I said "Or else I'm going to have to be forced to use this gun on you." I didn't tell them it was a gun that only fired nets.

"Don't make me hurt you!" the ghost with flaming hair boomed.

While he was distracted, the ghost boy fired some kind of goo from his hand. It knocked the big ghost backwards and into the sky. He kept on going until he disappeared.

I turned to Danny Phantom and he smiled at me.

"Thanks." I whispered. Then, I pushed a button on the gun and fired the net at the ghost!

"Hey, you tricked me!" Danny Phantom cried.

"And?"

"And I helped you! Now let me go!"

"I'll let you go……In a cage! And then I'll eliminate you!"

Danny Phantom sighed as I picked up the net and threw it through the window of my room. My new room. My dad had finally got enough money to move out of the apartment and into a real, yet small house.

I jumped through the window, trying not to mess anything up, and heaved the net onto my bed. This ghost was heavy for something dead.

I picked up a gun. A real one. One that fired a kind ectoplasmic goo that would instantly destroy the ghost and make it no more than a pile of dust. I held the gun up next to the ghost's head and prepared to fire.

"Valarie, don't do this!" Danny Phantom pleaded, fighting to get out of the bag.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I'll do anything if you'll let me go! I'll never, ever bother you again! And I'll tell you who I am!"

I slowly lowered the gun to my side and stared into the ghost's eyes. He seemed to be telling the truth.

"Ok. If I let you go, will you really, seriously, honestly never bother me again and tell me who you are?" I asked.

"Yes, but you have to let me out, first. Otherwise, you might trick me again."

"How do I know it's not you who's tricking me?"

"Because I wouldn't do that to you. Now, let me go."

I pointed the gun that fired nets at the occupied net on my bed and pressed a button. The glowing net disappeared and Danny Phantom sighed.

"Valarie, the reason I know your name is because I'm really D……"

"Val, sweety, there's someone on the phone who wants to speak to you!" my father called.

"I'll be back, ghost boy." I whispered, closing the window "So don't try anything funny."

I closed the door to my room and ran into the kitchen, where Daddy handed me the phone. It was my cousin, Brent, calling from Europe, where he was on vacation. He said he was sending me a wheel of cheese, so to make sure and check the mail every day. It might spoil if I didn't find it when he first sent it.

I tried to talk fast so I could get back the my ghost, but Brent went on and on about dairy products. Finally, I hung up on him and stormed back to my room, where Danny Phantom……Was gone!

"Traitor." I whispered.

I began to sit down on my bed and fell right through it! I heard a little laugh and the lamp on my desk began floating.

"You'd better stop this, ghost boy!" I cried.

"Hehehe, sorry." Danny Phantom said, still invisible.

"Come out here and tell me who you are, and then leave! And never, ever come back!"

The ghost boy appeared in the middle of the room with the lamp in his hand.

"Ok, I'm prepared to leave you alone, now." He said. And with that, he turned intangable and began to walk through the wall.

I grabbed my Anti-Ghost Glove, put it on my hand, and grabbed him by the leg. The glove allowed me to touch intangable ghosts without going right through them.

Now, Danny Phantom was half way through the wall and struggling to get out. I pulled him backwards, but he still tried to get out. He was so stupid. If he was going to break his promise, he should have left while I was on the phone with Brent.

"Hey……Let me go!" the ghost cried, still fighting to leave.

As he pulled forward and I pulled backwards, I felt something starting to give. Finally, I flew backwards with someone—and someone else was standing in the room, too!

I stared at the ghost for a moment. It was Danny Phantom, but someone ELSE was lying on the floor next to me. When Danny Phantom spotted the person, he flew into their body quickly.

I started to sit up to see who the person was. I was anxious to see the real face of the ghost boy. But before I could, the ghost with flaming green hair crashed through my window and landed on top of my bed!

"Ah, the ghost boy and my former prey." The ghost laughed.

_'Former prey?'_ I thought. Then I remembered that the ghost with flaming hair had hunted Danny Phantom and I through the Ghost Zone once. I guessed he was back for revenge.

"Well, ghost boy and friend, what do you have to say for yourselves now that I'm about to hang your hides over my fireplace?" the ghost asked.

"I say no!"

I sat up and saw Danny Fenton standing in the middle of the room. My room. What was HE doing there?

"I'm going ghost." he said.

At that, two blue rings of light appeared around him. They slipped over him and he was instantly transformed into the ghost boy.

Danny turned to me and saw that I'd seen him change. I opened my mouth so say something, but he only whispered "Run".

Chapter One coming soon!


	2. Chapter One: Star Knows

Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone!

ChemicalHappiness: What if I told you that they don't get away? j/k, I never kill off the main characters!

Dannysgf08: I'd love to chat with you on Yahoo! I don't get on very often, but when I do, I'd love to talk! My IMname is MeleePichu.

wishing fo rain: Thanks so much! I'll continue as quickly as I can, but things might slow down a lot in the coming week, considering that I'm going back to school after a long break. (Not spring break, though. We don't get one. It's complicated…..)

purrbaby 101: Thanks! I'm so glad that you like it! I was hesitant about posting it, since I don't have a lot of experience working with Valarie as the main character, but now I'm glad I did!

Cheerin4danny: Wow, thanks! I didn't know so many people liked this! BTW, don't know if you're aware of it or not, but I'm BLT (Bianca Latias)……

_**Chapter One**_

I started to get up, but the big ghost fired something at me, and glowing green ropes tied by body to the ground.

"Danny, help!" I cried. Wait……I was asking the dweeb for help? How low had I sank?

Danny pulled out some kind of thermos and opened it up. The big ghost was sucked into a bright green vortex, and disappeared in the blink of an eye inside the container. The green ropes disappeared and I was free to get up and move around.

Danny walked over to me and grabbed my hand. His hand felt so cold, but I took it anyway, and stood up checking for cuts and bruises.

"Valarie, I'm really sorry for all of this……" he began.

"Don't be. I swear I won't tell a soul." I whispered, smiling.

"This isn't a trick this time, is it?" Danny asked nervously.

"No. Now that I know who you are, I would never trick you, even if you ARE unpopular." I explained.

Danny smiled for a second, but then frowned he realized what I had said. Then, he jumped though the broken window and flew off into the sunset.

Daddy walked in, looking scared and confused.

"Hey, pumpkin, I thought I heard a……What the heck!"

Daddy's eyes fell on the broken glass scattered all over the carpet. He gasped in horror, spun around twice, and fainted.

Where is Danny Phantom when you need him?

The next day after Daddy dropped me off at school, Paulina came running up to me with hearts in her eyes.

"Hey, Val! Did you see that cutie, Inviso-Bill on the news last night?" she giggled "He got caught on camera saving a baby from a burning building!"

"Oh, I saw him." I muttered, adjusting the bookbag on my arm and opening the school doors to let Paulina in first.

"Don't you think he's hot?" she asked, looking a bit confused.

"Sure, he's scorching." I said sarcastically.

"You must be after that dorko Danny Fenton." Paulina mumbled.

As she said that, I noticed Danny standing at his locker talking to his loser goth friend Sam and his slightly cute friend Tucker. He looked over and smiled at me.

"Hello, Earth to Val, come in Val." Paulina said, waving her hands in front of my face.

"Oh, huh, what?"

"You MUST have a crush on that loser because I always see you looking his way."

I frowned and sighed in disgust. When I looked back over, Danny and his pals were gone.

At lunch, I sat with Dash, Star, and Paulina. Paulina was babbling about Inviso-Bill without knowing who she was trulytalking about, Star was winking at a new boy in her Home Ec. Class, who was sitting a few tables away,and Dash was eating in peace and quiet, for once.

"So, Val, do you know who Inviso-Bill is? I mean, your dad did used to work at a place that got destroyed by ghosts, right?"Star asked suddenly.

The question caught me by surprise. What was I supposed to say?

"Um, er..." I began.

"Everyone says Inviso-Bill isn't a real ghost, but a boy with ghost powers. What do YOU think?"Star asked.

"I think he's hot!" Paulina cried happily.

"Hello, I'm not talking to you!" Star snapped. Then, she turned back to me.

"I know who Inviso-Bill is, but I swore I wouldn't tell." I explained.

"Oh, so are you two going out?" Dash asked, talking for the first time since we'd sat down for lunch.

"No way, why would I go out with a loser like D……"

Everyone was staring at me. Without realizing it, I had almost given away Danny's secret.

"Did you just say he was a loser? Who is he? Someone we might know...and pick on?" Star asked.

"I...I didn't mean to say that."

"Listen, why don't we play Twenty Questions and I try to guess who he is? If I get it right, I get to confront him about it. If I don't guess it, we never speak of it again. But if I do get it, you have to swear to tell me, ok?" Star asked.

I gulped, staring nervously at Danny. He was laughing and talking with Sam and Tucker, not aware of what was going on at the popular table.

"Ok." I agreed.

"Alrighty, I ask the questions, ok?" Star asked.

"Ok."

"Is he a boy?"

"Duh."

"Does he go to Casper High?"

"Yes."

"Is he a freshman?"

"Yes."

"Is he popular?"

"No."

"Is he smart?"

"Well…No."

"Does he have any classes with me?"

"Yes, a couple, actually."

"Really?……Is one of them Home Ec?"

"Um……"

I bit my lip. Star was really close to finding out who Inviso-Bill was.

"……Yes."

"Oh, well that narrowed it down quite a bit." Star laughed.

Iforced a laugh, too, knowing it would be the last laugh I ever had. Danny would pull my heart out through my throat if Star found out about his secret.

"I think I have enough information. But I'm not confronting him now. Not while popular kids are watching. I can't be seen talking with a geek like….."

The bell rang, meaning my lunch period was finally over! I jumped up and ran to the garbage can, tossing my whole tray in. Then, I ran out the door and down the hall as fast as I could, leaving Star, Paulina, and Dash in the dust.

In the hall after history, Star ran over to me with her arms full of books.

"Did you hear? Paulina fell and hurt her arm. Dash was supposed to carry her stuff for her, but somehow I got stuck with it." she explained "Anway, what about Inviso-Bill?"

"What about him?" I asked.

"Did I get it right?"

"You never told me who you thought he was."

Star sighed and turned to Sierra, one of her friends that I didn't know too well, who was standing next to me.

"Sierra, do you remember me telling Val who I thought Inviso-Bill was?" she asked.

"Um, no, does Val know who Inviso-Bill is?"

Star turned back to me and smiled a_ very_ sly smile.

"It's Danny Fenton, isn't it?"

I dropped my books in the floor. They hit my feet with a hard thud. I was wearing sandals, so the books had really hurt my toes. A bit of red blood was oozing from under the nail of one of them. I ignored it and looked back at Star.

"No it's not." I lied.

"You dropped your books for so some reason." Star said.

"No it's not." I repeated.

"I didn't ask you that!" Star growled "It's him!"

"No, wait, Star……" I began. But it was too late. Star was already on her way over to Danny's locker. I quickly picked up all my books and ran over to her. She had already started a conversation with Danny.

"So………Val says you're Inviso-Bill. Is that true?" Star asked casually.

Danny turned to me, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open.

"Why did you tell?" he asked quietly.

"But I didn't! She guessed!" I cried.

"I knew I couldn't trust you." Danny whispered "I knew that no matter what happened, you would never change. You'll always be the same cheating bully that you were. I can't believe I even trusted you."

"But I didn't tell her! Why won't you listen to me!" I screamed.

"Because I'm tired of waiting for you to tell me the truth! Now you leave me alone!"

"I love a good fight." Star chuckled quietly.

Danny gathered his books and ran off to class. I turned to Star, my eyes blazing with fury.

"Why did you have to go and upset him like that?" I asked, holding back tears.

"What can I say? It's my job!" Star laughed.

"No! Your job is to keep your trap shut and stop butting into everyone else's private lives. As in mine and Danny's!" I cried.

"Ooh, harsh." Star muttered "But I was right, wasn't I?"

I couldn't take it anymore. Clutching my books in my arms tightly, I hopped off to class, leaving a trail of blood flowing from my injured and very sore toe.

It felt to me as if the whole world had turned against me. Star and I used to be best friends, but ever since I let that little hint slip out, I had nothing but enemies. I had sworn to keep Danny's secret, and now I had somehow let Star know. Even if it was an accident, I felt as if it was still partly my fault.

So after school that day, I walked home alone, avoiding any of Star's friends. Knowing Star, she'd probably told everyone and their brother.

Another person I avoided on my walk home was Danny. I couldn't face him, and I couldn't face Sam, and I couldn't face Tucker. I would only end up feeling evenworse than I already did.

Walking home alone is the lonliest thing I've ever had to do in my whole life.

When I walked in the door that evening, Daddy was sitting on the couch watching television and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Have a nice day, sweety?" he asked, staring at the television.

"Um, yeah." I fibbed, sitting my bag and purse down next to the door and forcing a smile. Daddy looked over at me, not seeming convinced.

"Is there something bothering you?" Daddy asked.

"No, of course not. I'm perfectly fine."

"You look a little tired. You should probably go up to your room and take a rest, ok?"

I nodded, shifting uneasily.

"And why is your toe so red?"

"I dropped a book on it. Well, about three books."

Daddy frowned, but didn't say another word. Instead, he turned back to the TV, sipping his coffee and shaking his head.

About that time, Helen walked in and smiled at us.

Helen is my step-mother. After Mommy and Daddy got divorced, Daddy started dating a woman named Charlotte. When she and Daddy decided to stop seeing each other, Charlotte hooked Daddy up with Helen, her sister.

For some reason, I don't love Helen like a mother. Everyone tells me that Helen and I look a lot alike, but I don't take it as a compliment, because in my opinion, Helen is ugly.

Another reason I don't love Helen is because she's always busy and traveling. After she and Daddy got married, she left for Asia. She had only recently gotten back from Europe. She never has time for Daddy and I.

Still, I like Helen in a friendly sort of way. She was lucky that I felt something towards her besides hate, considering the fact that a lot of people tell me I need an attitude adjustment and that I don't like anyone.

"Hey, Valarie! How was your day?" Helen asked happily. She smiled, showing her perfect teeth. She's fifty, but she looks young enough to be my big sister. That's because she looks so flawless and perfect.

"Great. I got a B on my English test." I answered.

"Excellent! Hey, Bobby, where's my kiss?" Helen asked, brushing past me and walking over to Daddy.

Daddy gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and she winked, patting him on the shoulder and then glided down the hall (Our house only has one floor) and into her bedroom.

I smiled at Daddy, even though I didn't feel like it. I ran into the kitchen and pulled a phone number off the fridge.

With my fingers shaking, I picked up the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang three times, and then someone said "Hello?"

"Mommy?"

"Hey, Val! How are you doing?"

"Um, not so good. Star is mad at me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby."

"Well, it's really more that I'm mad at Star. It was a stupid argument."

"Well what was it over?"

I shifted nervously once again and sighed.

"You've heard of that guy, Inviso-Bill, right?" I asked.

"Well, sure, he's all over the news."

"I accidently sort of let Star know who he was, and then she went and asked him if it was true. And he's mad at me, and I'm mad at Star, and she's mad at me. I don't know what to do." I explained.

"Wow, you know who he is?"

"Well…er, yes. But I promised not to tell! And he thinks I broke the promise, but it was an accident! A little bit slipped out, and then Star guessed!"

"And you've tried telling himthe truth?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't believe me, because we've had some……trouble……in the past."

"Oh, well, is this boy nice?"

"Yeah, Danny's really……"

Istopped in the middle of the sentence. Had I just said what I'd thought I'd said?

"Danny?" Mommy asked "This boy's name is Danny? Is he that Danny Fenton who used to walk by our house every day on his way home?"

"Um, yeah, that's him."

"Well, he seemed really nice. I can't understand why he'd be mad at you."

"Mommy……I have to go. Love you. Bye."

I slammed the phone down. Now I couldn't even talk to Mommy without messing everything up! I'd just broken my promise……again!

I ran into my room and flopped down on my bed, burrying my head in my pillow and screaming.

Chapter 2 is coming soon!


End file.
